Precious metal recovery using thiocyanate lixiviant
US7285256B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 28, 2003 |
| Grant date | Oct 23, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 1, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P10/20
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Precious metal-containing mineral material is subjected to an acidic thiocyanate leach to dissolve the precious metal as a precious metal-thiocyanate complex. A feed of the thiocyanate leach solution may include a large molar ratio of ferric iron to thiocyanate. Precious metal may be removed from pregnant thiocyanate leach solution, such as by transferring precious metal from precious metal-thiocyanate complex to precious metal-cyanide complex and then loading the precious metal-cyanide complex onto an adsorbent material. Remaining cyanide in the thiocyanate leach solution may be converted to thiocyanate for additional leaching of precious metal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.